This lasagna recipe is easy and excellent! Lasagna is ALL about two things: time and ingredients. If you buy fresh, get the best cheeses, and tomatoes, it will be INCREDIBLE, and a very special treat.
You can also make this ahead of time and entertain the fanciest of guests, or the closest of family. Lasagna is the perfect treat for date night, family, parties, Sunday dinners, and movie night with your spouse. It also freezes well.
Lasagna is the perfect comfort food for the holidays. You can also layer on all sorts of great treats like anti-pasta appetizers and fresh garden salads. Great wine is also a treat this time of year. Invest in a great bottle to share or bring home a simple, yet smooth favorite.
I use one of my favorite port’s in the sauce. It seems like a little bit of a waste, but it’s sure worth it in the end: Door County Reserve Port is a great option. It’s a great wine and it’s also not super expensive at $12.99 a bottle. It add’s an incredible richness to the meat sauce you can’t get any other way.
Classic Holiday Lasagna!
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet yellow onion
- 1 bulb of garlic
- fresh Italian parsley
- pepper
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp basil
- fresh ground pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 stick of butter
- 16oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- 16oz whole milk cottage cheese
- 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 pound of ground beef
- I 16 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 small can of tomato paste
- 1 cup of port wine
- 2 eggs
Directions:
- To make the meat sauce, dice up the onion and add it to a hot pan lined with olive oil and the butter. Add the diced garlic. I use almost an entire bulb. The more the better. Add the ground beef and saute and brown. Finally add the tomatoes, tomato paste, seasonings, mushrooms, and red wine. Cover and let simmer for an hour.
- Next put together the cheese mixture. Bring together the cottage and ricotta cheese. Add both eggs and a tsp of black pepper. Fold in a large palm full of chopped Italian parsley. Refrigerate.
- Shred the mozzarella and parmesan and refrigerate.
- Finally boil the lasagna noodles. When done, rinse well with cold water and set aside.
- Spray your pan with Pam for added assurance. Every time I forget I regret it.
- Finally allow the sauce to cool and layer the lasagna. First a small layer of sauce. Noodles, sauce, cheese mixture and small amount of parmesan. Add an additional 2 layers and top with sauce and leftover mozzarella. Finally sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes covered. Remove the cover and let bake another 15. Rest for 15 minutes, cut and serve with a fresh Cesar salad and/or garlic bread and your favorite wine.
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